The PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour delivered a thrilling weekend of darts in Gothenburg, Sweden, with Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas claiming victory in Tour 7 and Sweden’s Daniel Larsson clinching Tour 8. These crucial wins saw both players capitalize on early exits from top contenders, significantly impacting the race for a coveted spot at the PDC World Championship. Larsson, in particular, made a massive jump in the rankings, putting him firmly in contention for the sport’s biggest stage.
PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour 7: Labanauskas’ Dominance
Saturday morning saw 54 players compete in Gothenburg for PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour 7. The tournament quickly became unpredictable as front-runners Cor Dekker and Jani Haavisto both suffered unexpected defeats in their opening matches. Dekker fell 6-1 to Jonas Masalin, while Haavisto lost 6-3 to Dmitriy Zhukov. This opened the door for other players to gain ground in the standings.
Ultimately, it was direct rivals Daniel Larsson and Darius Labanauskas who seized the opportunity, battling their way to the final. Larsson’s path included convincing wins against Valters Melderis (6-0), Sebastian Caris (6-3), and Denmark’s Jonas Graversen (6-2) in the semi-finals.
Labanauskas, known as ‘Lucky D’, eliminated Andreas Hyllgaardhus (6-1), Anton Östlund (6-5), and Andreas Nielsen (6-1). His quarter-final clash against Östlund was particularly dramatic: trailing 5-4, Labanauskas showcased nerves of steel, winning the final two legs in 15 and 14 darts respectively to secure his spot.
The Final: Labanauskas vs. Larsson
The final began with both players holding their throws for the first three legs. However, Labanauskas delivered the first significant blow in the fourth leg, breaking Larsson’s throw by finishing 80 to take a 3-1 lead. He solidified this advantage in the next leg, checking out 85 to extend his lead to 4-1.
Larsson struggled in the sixth leg, failing to convert a 104 checkout opportunity on his own throw, which allowed Labanauskas to secure a double break with a 16-darter. ‘Lucky D’ then closed out the match in spectacular fashion in his own leg, finishing 104 for a dominant 6-1 victory. This marked Labanauskas’s second title in his last three tournament appearances, showcasing his formidable form.
PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour 8: Larsson’s Redemption
Sunday saw another 54 players return to battle for the Tour 8 title. It proved to be a weekend to forget for PDC Tour Card holder Cor Dekker, who once again failed to win a match, losing 6-4 to Andreas Hyllgaardhus. Mio Varilla, Jonas Masalin, and Andreas Harrysson also exited in their opening rounds.
However, the two finalists from Saturday, Daniel Larsson and Darius Labanauskas, continued their strong performances. Finland’s Jani Haavisto also showed excellent form, reaching the final as he pushes for a return to the prestigious Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace, home of the PDC World Championship) in his comeback year.
Haavisto secured his final spot with narrow victories over Viktor Tingström (6-5), Jonas Graversen (6-4), and Oskar Lukasiak (6-4). His match against Tingström was particularly tense, with Haavisto surviving multiple match darts to advance. Notably, Lukasiak was responsible for eliminating Saturday’s champion, Darius Labanauskas, in a tight 6-5 quarter-final encounter.
Meanwhile, Daniel Larsson reached his second consecutive final, overcoming Denmark’s Bent Lambertsen 6-4 in the semi-finals.
The Final: Larsson vs. Haavisto
The final started with both players holding serve for the first three legs. In the crucial fourth leg, Haavisto struggled on his doubles, missing seven attempts, which allowed Larsson to secure the first break of the match with a 19-darter. Larsson then consolidated his break in the next leg with another 19-darter, building a commanding 4-1 lead.
The next three legs went with the throw, bringing the score to 5-3. In a dramatic ninth leg, Larsson missed three match darts, offering Haavisto a lifeline. The Finn capitalized, breaking back to narrow the score to 5-4. However, the decider never came. With immense pressure, Larsson composed himself to hit a fantastic 64-finish, clinching the match and securing his first title of the season.
Tournament Results at a Glance
PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour 7 – Key Matches
- Quarter-Finals:
- Andreas Nielsen 6-4 Jonas Masalin
- Darius Labanauskas 6-5 Anton Östlund
- Jonas Graversen 6-4 Viktor Tingström
- Daniel Larsson 6-3 Sebastian Caris
- Semi-Finals:
- Darius Labanauskas 6-1 Andreas Nielsen
- Daniel Larsson 6-2 Jonas Graversen
- Final: Darius Labanauskas 6-1 Daniel Larsson
PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour 8 – Key Matches
- Quarter-Finals:
- Bent Lambertsen 6-2 Andreas Hyllgaardhus
- Daniel Larsson 6-3 Andreas Nielsen
- Oskar Lukasiak 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
- Jani Haavisto 6-4 Jonas Graversen
- Semi-Finals:
- Daniel Larsson 6-4 Bent Lambertsen
- Jani Haavisto 6-4 Oskar Lukasiak
- Final: Daniel Larsson 6-4 Jani Haavisto
World Championship Race Heats Up!
Despite a challenging weekend in Sweden where he failed to win a match, Dutch-Norwegian Cor Dekker remarkably maintains his lead in the PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour Order of Merit. However, his advantage has significantly shrunk to just 400 points over Daniel Larsson, whose Tour 8 victory propelled him into second place.
The stakes are high: after 12 tournaments, the top two players in the Order of Merit (who haven’t already qualified through other routes) will earn a coveted spot at the upcoming PDC World Championship.
Currently, Cor Dekker has provisionally qualified via the Pro Tour. This means that, as it stands, Daniel Larsson and Jani Haavisto are currently holding the two World Championship berths from the Nordic & Baltic Tour standings.
Furthermore, the top 24 players in the Order of Merit will qualify for the PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship, an event that offers another direct pathway to the World Championship for its winner.
Source: Based on an article from Darts Actueel.
